Lifeline Booklet 2021

ACTIVE LISTENING If your approach is welcomed and the person is willing to talk, give them time to talk through their concerns and show empathy by actively listening. Empathy is, at its simplest, awareness of the feelings and emotions of other people. It is a key element of emotional intelli- gence, the link between self and others, because it is how we as individuals understand what others are experiencing as if we were feeling it ourselves. You can encourage someone to continue to talk, open- up more freely and explore issues by using encouragers, paraphrasing and summarising 6 . Encouragers are a variety of verbal and non-verbal ways of prompting someone to continue talking. These include non-verbal minimal responses such as a nod of the head or positive facial expressions, verbal minimal responses such as “Uh-huh” and “I hear what you’re saying” or brief invitations to continue such as “Tell me more”.

Any conversation with a distressed person must involve non- judgmental listening with respect, showing empathy and care If the person doesn’t feel comfortable talking to you, encourage them to discuss how they are feeling with someone else and restate that you are concerned about them and you are there for them if they need your help or support.

6 https://www.counsellingconnection.com/index.php/2009/07/21/encouragers-paraphrasing-and-summarising/

9

Accidental Counsellor